Unfortunate
by voldmort needs a nap
Summary: The life of a transfer student who comes up against a very hard, very unfortunate situation.OC
1. Chapter 1

Professor McGonagall sighed deeply as she sank slowly into the chair behind her desk. She took her index fingers and massaged her temples trying to relive the headache she always seemed to get this time of year.

First years, she groaned at the though, oh those first years. They don't look so bad at first, just frightened with sticky little faces. Then, after they get settled, caldrons will start exploding, after hour parties in the common room with have to be broken up, and Finch has always been more then happy to report any wrong doings.

She was especially stressed this year, seeing as she had nearly twice the number of first years compared to the other houses. Professor Snape's snide remarks at dinner about how she had her work cut out for her this year surly didn't help.

She pressed her fingers to her temples even harder squeezing her eyes shut. At least now….now she could relax.

_**Stomp**_

_**Stomp**_

**Stomp **

_**BAM!**_

McGonagall looked up in alarm as a girl, looking absolutely enraged burst into the room as if she had all the fires of hell behind her.

McGonagall stared with her mouth hanging open slightly, trying to place the girl. Then she remembered. The unhappy transfer student.

"I need to talk to you!" The girls stuttered pointing at the professor in her chair, seeming to be having difficulty forming coherent sentences in her rage.

McGonagall felt resentment and indignation bubble up inside her at being addressed in such a rude manor, but suppressed it for the sake of solving the situation.

"I can see that you do" The old professor replied dryly, looking at the girl who seemed to be shaking, her cheeks a crisp crimson in rage.

"I need to be resorted, right NOW!" the girl seemed quite beside herself.

"Impossible" Professor McGonagall replied simple, taking a quill and wetting the tip with her tongue.

"No. No no no no no. You DON'T understand. You DON'T," the girl's voice cracked, "I have to be resorted. Right now. NOW."

McGonagall started scribbling on a piece of parchment, for the sole purpose of keeping her calm and not snapping at this already hysteric girl.

"Like I said. Impossible. The sorting is not a game we do every year. Its tradition, and its permanent," McGonagall could go into detail for hours about the history of the hat, the importance of the hat, or the magic about the hat, but she was tired, and she wanted this girl to just let the issue go. Perhaps she could reroute this girl to go talk to the headmaster.

"You don't understand!" the girls flared up in a way McGonagall had rarely seen anyone do, much less a student to a teacher,

"For sixteen generations, SIXTEEN GENERATION! My family has been strictly, only SLYTHERINS! SIXTEEN GENERATIONS!!" The girls was so completely beside herself that her knees were buckling as she swayed dangerously as her arms lay stiff by her sides, her firsts balled up so tightly her knuckles were turning white,

"Do you know what this means? Do you know what this means to me? I am a DISGRACE! I am a DISGRACE! My family will never, they will never let me come home! Do you understand? I AM HOMELESS!"

McGonagall looked up. The girl had taken a break from yelling and was panting.

"I am homeless," the girl repeated quietly, her rage dissipating and grief strapping her body.

McGonagall looked to the girl. She felt bad. Of course she did. But there was nothing to be done.

"I know…I know your upset. And I know you have been placed in a very…a very compromising situation," McGonagall stared at the girl who's grief and anger washed away as she began to look hopeful,

"I understand the position you are in, and I am deeply regretful," the girl began to smile, wiping a lone tear from her cheek,

"Unfortunately, what's done is done. What's been decided is decided. You are in Gryffindor. I hope you can come to terms with your family"

The girl's smile went out like a light; her hopefulness was squandered like a matches flame in the rain.

She opened her mouth but McGonagall cut in,

"And I want you to know Miss…Songten is it? That if you EVER dare to speak to me again as you have spoken to me tonight, " The elderly professor let the statement hang as it was for a moment before completing the threat, "You will find yourself in an even more compromising situation, one you will deeply, deeply regret."

Miss. Songten stared at the professor, her mouth gaping like a fishes gasping for air.

Without warning, her anger exploded into a full rage, with the intensity of smashing a bottle of liquor on a flame

She said nothing. Just spun around so fast her feet nearly flew out from under her. She stormed out of the room, extending one arm to knock over a desk on her way out, causing it crash on the stone floor. She slammed the door behind her and her stomps echoed until they could be heard no more.

Professor McGonagall shut her eyes, trying to get the ringing of the crashes and yelling and stomping out of her head. She sighed, wondering how much longer she would be able to keep up with this profession, and how much longer she could keep her sanity with these young people. She again, raised her index fingers to her worn temples and massaged them, hard enough to cut of the blood circulation.

Suddenly, the first year's problems seemed more inviting to her.


	2. Chapter 2

Earlier that day… 

"Excuse me"

Fred and George looked up from their game of exploding snap in slight alarm, having not realized someone had quietly opened their cabin door.

"Can…I sit here?"

The girl who stood in the door way stared quizzically at the twin boys, who still had not said a word. She pressed her lips together, giving them a look that suggested she thought them rude for ignoring her.

The Hogwarts Express sounded a shrill whistled, and lurched forward slightly, as if warning students to find their seats. The girl, weighted down from a large, almost dorky looking green backpack, swayed dangerously, looking like her knees would buckle under the weight.

"Er.. Yeah, sure. Go ahead"

George waved his had limply at the seat across from where he and Fred were sitting, as if trying to make up for their lack of consideration earlier.

She gave them an awkward little halve smile and collapsed in the cushioned seat somewhat dramatically. Fred looked to his twin, frowning. George cocked his head and looked at his brother. Both locked eyes and Fred gave George a meaningful look as the train made another lurch, as a last warning to students who had not found seats.

George knew his twin well enough and he could practically hear Fred complaining that this, girl was going to ruin the whole ride over to Hogwarts. Any conversation of their mischievous plans would have to be censored for another day.

George broke gaze with his brother and looked at her.

She was smiling about something as she unzipped her backpack and gazed inside. Much to George's surprise the backpack shivered slightly. She laughed and poked her finger inside the largest unzipped compartment and laughed again as if there was something immensely funny inside.

She looked like a lunatic.

George thought as he watching her with mild interest, she wasn't bad looking. She had very fair skin that was burned slightly on her shoulders from the summer sun. She had shockingly blond hair that brushed her sunburned shoulders, looked slightly as though she had cut it herself. She wore a light brown muggle sundress, George assumed, would be fashionably in the muggle states, but looked slightly out of place here. She had a sweet expression on her face, as she peered into her bag. The bag shivered again.

The compartment door opened again. The girls face twisted from laughter to a state of shock, as she jerked the back close to her, zipping it. Lee peered in, laughing slightly at the girl.

"You got something there your not supposed to?"

She gazed at him wide eyed, shook her head slowly, still clutching her bag, which was started to squeak softly. She punched it and the squeaking stopped with an indignant growl.

Lee shrugged and stepped in. He looked around the cabin seeming contemplated for a minute of where to sit. Then he squeezed on next to George and Fred on one side of the cabin. Both brothers gave an "Uff!" of disapproval as all three squeezed onto the two-person seat although George could hardly blame him. Something was strangely intimating about this girl, no matter how sweet she looked. Whether it was because she was strangely beautiful, or because still clutching her now growling backpack looking around suspiciously.

The final whistle cut through the crisp morning air and the train lurched again, but this time into a slow but steady roll. Mothers and fathers waved goodbye to their children many who leaned dangerously far out of the trains widows waving and saying final goodbyes. Many ill faced first years seemed to want to jump out and forget going to school, but were tugged back inside by stern prefects who policed the corridor of the train.

As soon as the prefects were out of sight, the girl seemed to relax. She smiled at the three boys as if she had accomplished something dangerous. The for sat in silence for a few minutes and the train left the station, and the landscape changed to rolling hills and dewdrop pine trees. Then she finally spoke.

"Are we allowed pets?"

It was a rather random question."Yeah sure" Fred replied dully, looking discontentedly at her, probably wondering why she had chosen their compartment to sit.

"Even on the train?"

"Why not?"

"Oh" She seemed to feel silly for her previous behavior, "at my old school, we went allowed"

"In the states?" Lee seemed interested in her. George guessed it was because Lee spent most of the summer in the states visiting muggle family. Lee had seemed to acquire a taste for American whatnots.

"Mmhm" she bobbled her head smiling slightly, "did my..." she pointed to her mouth.

"Your accent, yup"

"Oh!" she laughed, "accent? I have never thought of that. But I guess that would make sense. To me, you all seem to have an accent. How strange." she seemed to go off into her own little world, thinking about accents.

Suddenly she spoke again,

"What dose my accent sound like?"

"What?"

"What dose it sound like?"

"I really don't know what your asking"

She pressed her lips into a pout and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, trying to reword her question.

"When I listen to you talk, your accent makes you sound very...prim… and proper. Like fancy talk."

"Really?" lee gave her a questioning look, but seemed to enjoy the analysis.

"Oh yeah sure. You could be talking about taking a shit and it would sound like poetry"

The boys seemed to be taken aback by her sudden outburst of vulgarity.

She caught on to their feelings and asked again,

"So, what do I sound like to you"

Fred and George felt out of this conversation so they let lee answer.

"Well" Lee scratched rubbed the back of his neck as she looked eagerly at him, " I suppose your accent makes you sound...well...all like American cowboys"

She frowned.

"Not in a bad way."

She continued frowning.

"You know...like...hearty."

"I am not from the south."

Lee stopped, seeing that he was getting nowhere. The girl leaned back in her seat, holding her backpack to her chest. She looked off into space with an unsatisfied look on her face, obviously deep in thought.

Suddenly her backpack make a shrill yelp.

"Oh!"

She snapped out of her trance and started apologizing to her green backpack. She tipped it over and dumped the furry contents out onto the red-carpeted floor.

The most awkward little creature any of the boys had ever seen rolled up into a seated position and shook its head to clear it.

It was impossibly cute, but in an almost creepy sense. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a kitten. Huge lop hears hung down to the floor from its tiny head that pointed to a little black nose. It had what looked like short and soft grey fur that turned black as it hit its little feet, looking like socks. The creature stood up on its enormous haunches much like a rabbit and looked around, swishing its catlike tail.

The twins and Lee were so surprised they just stared. Not like it was the strangest thing they had ever seen, but it certainly was a strange creature to carry around in a backpack.

The little creature squeaked and jumped into the girl's arms, seeming surprising strong for such a little thing. She laughed and laughed as it licked her face with a rough tough and clawed her mercilessly as if trying to get closer to her. She fell off the seat to the floor. She quickly adjusted her dress and let her pet pounce on her. She upped herself to a seated position on the ground, catching the creature as it ran excitedly around the cabin. She picked it up by its upper body and swung the little fellow, his feet and tail dangling a few inches from the ground.

"I am so so sorry! I forgot all about you!"

The creature narrowed its eyes.

"Oh, I didn't mean I _forgot_ forgot you, I just had to make sure it was safe"

The creature seemed satisfied

"Poor poor little Jacobo! All crammed up in a backpack"

She began swinging him back and forth again. She tossed it up in the air slightly and let it fall back into her arms and buried her face in its fur and whispered she would never again put Jacobo into a backpack again.

In her activity, she almost forgot about three very quite and very concerned boys. She looked up.

"Oh! This is Jacobo!"

She thrusted the creature towards them and it seemed to give a little wave.

"Yeah...we know...what is it?"

Jacobo was wiggling so much it was all the girl could do to keep a grip on him. He had obviously stored up a lot of energy by being stuck in a backpack for what was probably hours.

The girl snatched him from the back of the neck and let him dangle allowing him to struggle in futile.

"He is an ancient breed of Skrittish" She explained as he seemed to tire and lay limp in the air, "Its a dying breed, extremely rare"

She continued to boast slightly, looking proudly upon him, as he seemed to be taking a nap as she griped the back of his neck.

"My uncle sent him from Africa when he went on business. What a bureaucrat. He works for the International Magic Corporation. He didn't tell me much, but I know why he went. Some people are so sick. " The girl rolled her eyes. George waited for her to elaborate, but she changed the subject.

" Anyways. So my uncle sent back Jacobo as a rare find. Originally my family was going to skin him and hang his hide up on the wall" George recoiled slightly at the thought as Jacobo's huge back rabbit feet twitched in mid air, tired of kicking around, "But I stole him away. They would kill me if they found out I got him."

She gentle put in Jacobo to her lap, waking him. He blinked his huge emerald eyes and yawned, exposing very small and very sharp white teeth. All sat in silence, not knowing what to say.

Both the girl and the Skrittish gazed out the window at the rolling countryside. She stroked his huge ears and he blinked lazily. She leaned down and whispered to him that they were going to a beautiful place that she was sure he would like. Where no one would want to hurt him and that he didn't have to stay hidden all the time. Where he could run around all day without having to worry. She pondered aloud to him that she hoped they had a lake where they could both go swimming.

George began to tell her about the lake with the giant squid, but Fred poked his arm roughly. George looked up, noticing only now the Fred and been looking at him. Fred frowned, displaying his rejection of the girl, but George just shrugged.

Finally George talked for what had been a long time,

"So…we know that little fellows name...but what is yours?"

Everyone in the car winced, realizing now that no one had introduced themselves. Everyone blurted out at once.

" Sorry I am George, and this is my brother-"

"That obvious George, you twit! I am Fred, and this is-"

"Lee! Sorry."

"That's ok, I'm Sari"

A huge weight seemed to clear from the air. All four teenagers sat in a more comfortable atmosphere. Fred and George felt their rambunctious ways beginning to be aroused now that the awkwardness finally passed.

"So…Sarah, no, Sari, right? " Fred smiled, leaning back in his seat with him arms crossed behind his head, "What house do you think you'll end up in?"

Sari smiled still stroking Jacobo's ears as he purred, "Oh that's a given! Slytherin!"

The short-lived comfortable air vanished.

Lee looked disbelievingly at Sari who gave him an ironically good-natured smile.

"Slytherin..."

"Yes Slytherin, the most glorious of all the houses!" Sari beamed, "For sixteen generation my extended family has been sorted into Slytherin, its a given I should be as lucky"

She seemed to be regurgitating what her family had obviously told her growing up, and not speaking from her own knowledge. George and Lee looked at each other with the same 'oh boy...' look.

"Erm...are you sure you... want to be in Slytherin?" Fred looked at her; with the expression George could read as clear as day. They knew that this girl would never, ever be in Slytherin. It's just not possible you understand. She was just not…. Slytherin material.

"And what if...you don't get into Slytherin?" Lee asked carefully

Sari looked in horror at him, this thought obviously never crossing her mind.

"Well, I suppose I will just have to throw myself in front of an oncoming train" she said simply, brushing off the question.

George having decided that he liked to watch this conversation stayed quiet as Lee and Fred trying their hardest to talk this girl out of being deadest on being sorted into Slytherin. That's the thing with George and his brother. In solitude, they are complete equals, with in public; Fred took the lead, often speaking for both the brothers. George frowned at this thought. Its harder then one thinks to share your identity with someone and to have nothing to call your own, not even your face. Not many people understood, and George often thought it was a waste of time to even ponder the thought. He loved his brother dearly, but sometimes, just sometimes...

"What house are you boys in?" Sari asked, snapping George out of his daydream.

" Gryffindor "

"My brother and I as well"

George nodded slightly.

"Oh!" Sari's smile faded slightly, "Oh, I am...sorry"

"Sorry about what?" Lee's good nature seemed to waver

"Sorry... that you're in... Gryffindor?"

Lee opened his mouth so say something, when a sharp rap on the door knocked anything he was going to say right out of his mouth. Fred and George instinctively knocked back on the door.

A harsh voice from the other side was obviously not amused and declared,

"All students! Change to your school robs!"

Sari grumbled slightly, mumbling about stupid dress codes as she unzipped another compartment of her backpack and yanking out her robes.

George looked to Fred, and Fred looked to George and both silently agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

Personally, Fred thought American girls were kind of trashy.

The deafening roar of the Great Hall almost made Fred forget about how hungry he was, and how frustrating it was that the Sorting hadn't started yet. Students hugging and greeting each other from a long summer filled the Hall with the kind of energy Fred survived on. Public energy. He felt the dullness from the train ride over seep out of him as he become wildly excited being apart of the crowd. But Fred would never stand for being just "apart" of the crowd for very long.

"Io! George!" Fred punched his brothers and comrades arm.

"What?" George, sitting next to his brother at the long Gryffindor table plugged his other ear in attempt to hear his brother.

"I have an idea"

"You have a what?"

"An idea!"

"Oh."

Fred frowned; his brother was not being himself today, ever since…. Oh no,

Fred made a face of disgust, since that American broad. He groaned and started banging his head on the table. He prayed. He prayed to god that this wouldn't end up like it did with George when the Weasely's took that trip to Egypt.

George grabbed his brother's head and yanked it up to face level with him. George started to ask a question, probably concerning Fred's head banging when a loud voice hushed the roar.

The head master, Dumbledore, opened the Sorting ceremony by welcoming all the old and new students to a fresh year.

A nervous line of first years looking even more ill then one the train ride over, one by one sat on the stood in front of the school and was sorted.

"Hey! Hey twins! You two!" Fred and George turned around in surprise as a furry mass was more or less thrown at them.

"Watch Jacobo for me for a minute? Please? Thanks!"

Sari rushed back to the end of the line, flashing a smile at the Slytherin table as she passed.

"What. Is. That?" Hermione asked irritably, narrowing her eyes as Jacobo basically tore Fred and George to shreds as it tried to wiggle out of their grasp and back to Sari.

"It's a…well…who cares! Just hold it Fred!"

"I'm not holding him! You do it! She's your love dove"

"Excuse me-"

"Let me hold him you prats! He's adorable" Ginny squealed, holding her arms out.

Fred and George handed over the frantic creature to Ginny, who began stroking his ears gently.

"You block heads! You frightened him!" She glared reproachfully at the boys and started cooing to Jacobo, who had surprisingly calmed down, but was looking around the room for Sari. Ginny began complaining how she was never allowed pets, just as the first year students finished their assortment.

At last, the transfer students stepped up. There were only three of them, Sari being the only girl. One was an extremely burly looking guy, with a huge forehead the seemed to squish his eyes nose and mouth together. Fred could think of a million retorts to such a fellow, but decided for his own well being, would keep them to himself.

The other boy was younger then Fred, but looked a little older then Ginny. He was a short stout boy who seemed to be sweating immensely in such a nerve-racking situation.

In fact, both boys looked apprehensive. Only Sari seemed at ease as she ran her fingers through her hair, and adjusted her robs frowning at them.

Fred looked at George who seemed to be paying very close attention. Fred rolled his eyes, but noticed other boys were doing the same.

Oh bimley, she's just a girl. Fred frowned, they really are more trouble then they are worth. In fact, Fred reckoned that girls were pretty much useless in general.

McGonagall called up the monsterly looking boy. He sat heavily on the stool and was immediately placed into Slytherin. He grinned like a great big brute with no more then halve a brain as he trotted to the Slytherin table and took a seat.

Then it was the porky little boys turn. He wiggled up onto the stool, beads of sweat dripping from his round glasses. He was placed into Ravenclaw, a bit of a surprise to Fred. The boy looked Hufflepuff material to him. Oh well.

"Songten Sari!"

Fred snapped out of his thought and looked in mild interest up at the girl.

Sari smiled hugely as she walked up to the stool, she had a little sway in her walk communicating her confidence. And apparently communicating a little more to most of the boys in the room.

Jacobo of course, upon seeing his Sari, went ballistic. Ginny yelped as she struggled to hold him, causing halve of the table to look to her.

Hermione, being one of them, asked no questions and whipped out her wand, flicking it once. Jacobo seemed to become sedated, and lay limp him Ginny's arms, his eyes rolling around in his head lazily. Ginny must have decided Hermione was better apt to taking care of Jacobo and dropped him into her lap. Hermione started to ask what the creature was but Fred once again, turned his attention to the front of the hall.

Sari sat on the stool, looking up as McGonagall dropped the hat on her head. Fred was so completely and utterly fascinated by what was going to happen, he didn't even notice Hermione drop Jacobo onto his lap.

The hat seemed to ponder for a minute before the huge rip in the brim widened and yelled,

"Gryffindor!"

The whole hall erupted into applause in relief of the last of the sorted. Amongst all the commotion, Fred saw Saris face twist into a grotesque look of shock.

She mouthed "WHAT?" as McGonagall curtly snatched the hat off of Saris head. Sari looked up at her, mouthing something that was apparently an argument. McGonagall lifted the stubborn girl off the stool and pushed her in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

Sari stumbled down from the front of the hall, completely dazed by all the noise and shock.

Jacobo, upon seeing her, snapped out of his sedated state and leapt from Fred's lap and bounded over to her, leaping up into her arms.

She clutched him, still with a blank look on her face as she sat down next to the only people who recognized.

Fred and George looked at each other, not knowing what to think as Sari sat down across from them slowly, eyes staring off into space.

Ginny started to introduce herself, but quickly stopped when she realized that Sari was completely unresponsive, even to Jacobo's licking of her face.

Fred was distracted from his observing as all the tables in the hall magically became decorated with the most delicious of foods.

Fred decided that Sari could deal with her own issues, and began helping himself to large amounts of ham and sweet potatoes. Then, he had a brilliant idea.

He stuffed ham and potatoes into his mouth, chewing them to better fit. He graciously turned to Hermione sitting beside him enjoying a glass of pumpkin juice and delicately asked,

"Hey Hermione?"

"Yes Fred?"

"Have you ever seen a train wreak?"

"No…and I don't ever want to"

"Let me show you what one looks like"

Fred opened his mouth, reveling all the chewed contents to Hermione. She shrieked in disgust and started scolding him, while Ginny quietly grumbled that Fred and George had been doing that all summer.

Fred laughed and looked over to George, feeling sorry for the bloke if he had missed out on that presentation. And that he had. George was watching Sari. God Lord.

Sari still hadn't snapped out of her trance, but had made progress by slowly cutting little chucks of ham and feeding them to Jacobo, who seemed to not have a care in the world. A couple Gryffindor were whispering and looking at her and her strange little creature. Sari didn't seem to mind. Something was obviously going on in her head, and frankly, Fred didn't care all too much.

He sighed as he scooped up more potatoes and began eating for real.

Like he thought before, girls are just way too much trouble then they are worth.


	4. Chapter 4

She cried. Oh how she cried.

What was wrong?

Jacobo swished his tail, trying to figure out what was happening.

Hours ago his master had burst into the circular room with four beds in a rage that had scared him enough to hid under the bed, and cause the other girls to leave.

Then she just started to cry.

Horrible wailings that depressed him.

He sat on the floor near his master's bed, head craned and his eyes fixed on her as she sobbed uncontrollably.

She was so sad. But why? Jacobo decided it was his job to find out why.

He crouched up on his haunches and in a single leap cleared a jump onto the bed. It was quite a jump even he was impressed with.

He delicately stepped over her body smelling her. She had no injuries. Why was so crying like she was hurting?

She turned over and looked at him as he rested a paw on her chest with water on her face. She sniffled and picked him up and held him above her as she laid.

"Oh Jacobo, its awful, just awful. Your…you're the only thing I….I have anymore. My only family."

Jacobo cocked his head. He had no idea what she was saying, but he knew that when someone said "Jacobo" he would probably get a treat.

He looked at her hopefully; maybe his master was planning to give him a treat. He hoped it was ham. The ham from dinner. Jacobo licked his lips, thinking about dinner. He liked ham a lot. And chicken.

Then an idea struck him. His master hadn't eaten at dinner. Maybe she was sad because she hadn't had any ham. That was bound to make anyone sad. She should get some. And bring him some too.

She sent him down gently next to her on the bed, and rolled over to turn away from him. She was no longer sobbing, but hiccupping little cries every so often.

So it wasn't about ham. Jacobo was disappointed, but never the less still tried to solve the mystery.

He upped himself and sat back up on his haunches, looking at his so sad master. He strained him memory, trying to think of a time when he was sad without being hurt.

Then, in a memory that made the fur all over his body prick, he remembered.

Not remembered in the sense that he had specific memories, but more sensations he had only been a kit at the time. He didn't remember his mother too well, but he remembered her sent. He remembered the sent of his brothers and sister. He remembered the warm darkness from their den. He remembered all the snuggling.

Then, the earth would shake. Human voices would yell. Then he was alone. He didn't know what happened to his mother or siblings, but they had left. Maybe to safety. But he was left alone in the den.

He remembered the sent of the human hand that reached in. Jacobo had bitten the hand, but he had been so young and weak that his baby teeth had hardly left a mark. The hand had taken him. He had struggled.

They next few memories were nothing but blurs of strange sensations of cold metal and human voices.

Then. The cage.

He remembered very well the cage.

He remembered the thick wire encasing him in a space where he couldn't even stand. He chewed the wire, he yowled for his mother.

He had….cried. Cried in a away without tears or any injury.

Then, she came.

He remembered her soft voice. She had stuck a finger in the cage to pet him, which he nipped. He arched his back and had growled trying to make her leave.

But she didn't. She stayed there and talked to him and brought him food.

She would leave for hours at a time, and he would fear that she wouldn't come back. The cage was maddening. It would never get dark. Days upon days of never ceasing light. Maddening, absolutely maddening. He would feel delirious and begin to see his mother outside the cage. He would ram his body against the cage, trying to get to her.

He didn't know how long he spent in that cage, only that the cage had become significantly smaller over the course of his stay.

Finally, the day came where everything changed. The girl with the sweetest sent. The sent that brought him the few pleasures and comfort he knew of, opened his prison.

He smelled her fear as she snipped the wires apart.

At first, he had been almost too frightened to leave, but slowly took his first steps out.

He remembered his choice. He could run. Run away and get away as far as he could. He didn't. He jumped at her. She hugged him for the first time, and for the first time in a long time, he felt safe.

She had taken him a place where she and he stayed. She had made him in her closet. At first he was frightened, being reminded of the cage, but when he was enveloped in the warm, soft darkness, the only darkness he had seen since his den, he fell immediately to sleep.

As so went their lives. During the day, during her long absences, he would sleep. At night she would open her closet and he would jump into her arms and she would let him play all night.

She fed him played with him, bathed him (he loved that, he loved swimming), and treated him like his mother would. But he didn't view her as his mother. She was his friend, his best friend.

A slight hiccup jerked Jacobo out of his semi thoughts and he felt a surge of sentimental awareness for his master. He gently stepped over her and gazed with his huge green eyes at her. She had fallen asleep, but still had an expression of pain on her face.

He looked up as the other girls came back into the room quietly, whispering as they climbed into their beds. He waited until they feel asleep; just to make sure they wouldn't do anything to his master.

He stretched himself out in his favorite sleeping position, over his master's neck. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

Jacobo drifted off to sleep, deciding that maybe his master had a cage he just couldn't see.


	5. Chapter 5

The smell of musty mold made Sari gag slightly as the dead air of the potions dungeon enveloped her. She made a face, fighting the urge to use her fingers to pinch her nose closed.

The students filled in behind her unenthusiastically, the Gryffindors more or less trudging as if they were on death row in Azkaban.

The musty classroom looked more like a scientific torture chamber then anything. Cabinets lined nearly all the walls with jars upon jars of pickled animal body parts or slimy plants. Well, those were the two options Sari was hopping they were. Rows of tables were set up with dirty wooden stools like in a muggle chemistry lab classroom, all facing the desk in the front of the room where the most unpleasant man Sari had ever seen sat.

The Slytherins all sat on one side of the room while the Gryffindors took the other. Sari, assuming she should sit wit her…. her house. She bitterly sat with the Gryffindors, looking longingly at the other side of the room.

"Settle down."

The man behind the desk spoke softly in a slow, dangerous manner, as he rose from his chair from behind his desk, rapping his knuckles on the wood to silence the room.

Sari, suddenly remembering whom the greasy haired man was, sat up straight and paid very close attention. Professor Snape after all was the Slytherin house head. She felt a small pang in her stomach as she remembered the night before. The most awful day of her life she figured.

The Professor introduced himself curtly and began going over the potions curriculum for the year. He drowned on and on, glorifying his subject in a way that made Sari wonder if he was maybe slightly insecure about his subject. Sari was beginning to lose interest, and let her eyes wonder to the other side of the dark room.

Honestly, the Slytherins weren't what exactly what she had imagined. She had been raised to believe they were the strongest, smartest, and the elite of Hogwarts. She looked at them and one caught her eye. The boy she had been sorted after with the brutish face arched his eyebrows at her and licked his lips in a perverted manner. His "mates" as they were called here snickered softly and punched his arm as if he had just done something outrageously funny.

Sari scoffed and returned an even ruder gesture under the table making them laugh harder. She pretended to brush it off, but she felt sick inside, like she had been violated.

She tried to focus on the professor's explanations of classroom expectations that seemed abnormally strict when something whizzed past her ear.

She didn't realize what had happened until she looked and saw the brute-faced boy gasping, clutching his nose that had a quill lodged smartly inside.

"Mr. Samuels? Is there a problem?"

Professor Snape stopped his lecture and looked at the unfortunate pervert with a quill in his nose.

The boy looked to him, stuttering an explanation about how the quill had become lodged in his nose, but the professor apparently did not what to hear any excuses. The professor strolled calmly over to the boy, staring at him for a moment before in a lightning fast movement, yanked the quill from his nose causing Mr. Samuels to shriek slightly, squinting his eyes so hard they seemed to disappear under his apish eyebrows.

Saris mouth twisted up into a smile of glee, but she quickly hid her pleasure, not wanting to be blamed for the incident. She looked around the room to see the culprit. One of the twins she had meet yesterday on the train waved slightly to her and beamed as if he deserved an applause or something. The other twin, she couldn't tell which one was which rolled his eyes and made an attempt to shove his quill up his brothers nose. They two began struggling and she couldn't help but giggle slightly.

"Mr. Weasleys? Is there yet another problem?"

Snape has positioned himself behind the boys so quietly; they hadn't realized he was behind them, looking down disapprovingly. The boys looked up, one with a quill halve way up his nose. Professor Snape jerked it out roughly, causing the twin to swear slightly under his breath,

"Oi! Bloody hell!"

The Gryffindors snickered in approval to the disruption.

The professor glared at the two, but took his long strides back up to the front of the room.

"Apparently" he said in a soft voice, "I was not making myself clear in terms of classroom expectations. Foot long essay due tomorrow, pertaining to the rules of the classroom, why they are important, and how the Weasley twins have violated them."

The whole room groaned. Sari stared wide-eyed at the man she was beginning to lose respect for. Could he really do that? It was so unfair.

Sari sighed and glanced up at the clock in the corner of the room, wishing for this horrible class to be over.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one. Her book bag stirred slightly. A halve smile formed on her face as two bright green eyes opened slowly from there slumber from inside and looked up at her sleepily from the darkness from her bag. Sari had traded in her green backpack for a bit more of a fashionable square shoulder book bag, perfect for little Jacobo.

She couldn't stand to leave him alone all day in a strange place, especially after he had yowled loud enough to make her roommates complain when she had tried to leave him earlier that morning.

She reached her hand in and stroked his velvety soft lop hears, thinking about how they were going to go play outside during lunch. She honestly had no desire to go and eat lunch with the other students, it was just too depressing.

Jacobo on the other hand must have decided he wanted to play now. He popped his head out of the book bag and looked around cheerfully. Saris eyes widened and she immediately shoved his head back down into the bag, causing Jacobo to yowl slightly in protest. Sari prayed that no one had heard, but unfortunately, students were looking around the room searching for the strange noise.

Sari's stomach churned as Snape turned around from his writing on the chalkboard and stared into the sea of blank faces.

"What was that noise?"

The color drained from saris face as Jacobo yowled softly again. She pinched his little jaw together trying to muffle the noise. While the yowling stopped, deep throated growling replaced it resentfully.

Professor Snape's dark eyes scanned the room and to Saris horror, rested on her.

"Miss Songten? You are looking…particularly suspicious. Why would that be?"

Saris eyes widened, looking all over the room desperately, shrugging her shoulders.

Snape glided over to her.

"It IS miss Songten, correct? You gave the teachers quite a topic to discus this morning over tea. What an…unfortunate situation you are in Miss Songten," he sneered slightly, "It's a shame really. I am quite good friends with your family. Quite a disappointment."

Sari mouthed soundless words as he towered over her.

She had heard many second years bragging to first years over breakfast of all the smart ass retorts they had thrown at Snape when he was being unfair, and she was sure now that those were all blatant lies. This was a scary, scary man.

"Miss Songten!" Professor Snape snapped suddenly, causing her to jump, "show me your hands!"

Sari offered her left hand and presented it to him palm out.

"Both hands Miss Songten"

The Slytherins snickered

Sari squeezed her eyes shut, praying that for once, just once, Jacobo would not cause a scene and stay in the bag as she lifted her right hand and presented it to the Professor.

No such luck.

Jacobo sprang like a rocket out of her bag, landing softly on her desk. He turned and looked reproachfully at her before turning around and upon seeing the looming professor, gave him his most adorable face.

Apparently, adorable is not Professor Snape's thing.

Jacobo wavered as Snape glared down at him and decided it was time to leap from table to table. Girls squealed excitedly at the bouncy little critter and tried to catch him. Snape looked less amused, more along the lines of furious. Sari on the other hand was horrified.

"Jacobo! No! No! Bad!"

She leapt up from her seat and attempted to catch him, the chase making Jacobo think that this was the greatest game ever and jumped out of reach even faster.

Unfortunately for him, his front paw tripped over his huge lop ear, causing him to fall flat on his face, dazing him long enough for Sari to snatch him from the back of the neck. He kicked his back legs indignantly trying to wiggle away. Snape was fuming and pointed to the door.

"Miss. Songten. Get. Rid .Of. Your. Pet."

"Yes sir!"

Sari threw open the door and more or less chucked Jacobo out the door causing him to land with a thud and slammed the door behind him.

By now the whole class was in an uproar. Boys laughing and girls screeching that Sari was mean to throw Jacobo like that, but honestly, Sari was more concerned with Snaps quivering rage.

Sari didn't even try to explain to the class what had happened, and thankfully she didn't need to.

BANG!

The whole class silenced and jerked their attention to the front of the room where Professor Snape stood with his wand smoking from the spell that had made the noise like a gunshot.

"Miss Songten. You are new to this school. If you were not, you would be out of my class so quickly it would make your little head spin. Much to my displeasure, I will grant you amnesty, and take a mere fifty points from Gryffindor for throwing my class into upheaval."

"Yes sir" Sari muttered softly as the Gryffindors groaned. She didn't even bother to admit his had no idea what it meant to "take away points."

A soft scritch scratching of claws on the dudgeon door could be heard from outside the door.

She sank into her seat and laid her head down on the table, covering it with her arms compliably humiliated, praying for Jacobo to just find somewhere to play until the end of class.

Finally he stopped and she heard the pitter patter of soft paws on the hard stone outside the door, pacing back and forth, waiting for her to come out and get him.

She felt something slip under her arm. She sat up and a piece of paper fell into her lap. She unfolded it and saw a crude drawing of Professor Snape, enchanted to run around in circles around the page and yell in bubble letters,

"Blah blah blah! I've got crap for brains!"

Sari looked over to the twins again. The persistent one was grinning from ears to ear, again thinking he had done something amazing.

She glared at him and tore the paper in two and laid her head back down on the desk, completely miserable.

This is the worst day she had ever had since yesterday she decided.


End file.
